Lyscabt cobetwell



'L. CURNWELL.

KEYLESS LOCK FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION Hm) APILZS. 1915.

l; 1 95,85G. Patented Aug. 1, 1916.

PETERS ca, Puma-1.1mm wnsmmzruu. a l" LYMAN oeuwrm, or Dr Brown. con m KEYLESS LOCK FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, 1916.

Application filed; April 21, 191-6. Serial No. 92,688.

combination lock adapted to; be connected to,

the coil box and switch of an automobile, to prevent the switch from being closed to complete the circuit to the coil or coils of the coil box by an unauthorized person or aperson not familiar with the combination of the lock, preventing the engine, of theauto= mobile from being started.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a casing secured to. the front wall of the coil box and provided with a central shaft operatively connected to the coil box switch and having a combination means operatively connected therewith to, prevent rotation of the shaft until the proper combination has been operated.

Another object of the invention is to pro! vide a disk on the shaft adapted to be engaged and held by a plurality of arms which have push buttons connected thereto, which must be pushed'to free the disk so that the shaft may be rotated to operate the coil box switch.

A further object of this invention is to provide means connected to the arms for normally holding somejof the arms into an engagement with the disk and for normally holding the other arms from an engagement. with the disk to make itv necessary to press the correct button to the arms which are normally in an engagement with the disk to free said disk and if onevof the other buttons is pressed that is connected to the arms which are not in an engagement with the disk, said arms will be forced into an en-, gagement with the disk and hold said disk against rotation providing the correct buttons are pushed or operated.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a keyless look for automobiles of the above stated character, which shall be simple, durable and efficient, and

which may be manufactured and sold at a comparatively low cost.

WVith these and other objects in view as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement. of parts as will be hereinafter claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation partly in section, of a keyless lock for automobiles,

more fully described and constructed in accordance with my inven tion, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same illustrating the means of locking the central shaft against rotation, and Fig. 3 is a detail sectional View of the switch on the coil box.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 1 indicates a portion of a coil box, which may be of any desired construction having a recess 2 in the center thereof, in which is rotatably mounted a switch 3, consisting of a shank 4, having oppositely disposed arms 5 secured thereon which are adapted to be moved into an engagement with contact points 6 to close an electrical circuit through coils not shown that are usually mounted in the coil box 1. The shank e is provided with its end squared as illustrated at 7 to receive a means or key for ope-rating the switch 8, providing a coil box switch of a well known construction and to which my invention is adapted to be applied. A circular base 8 is secured to the front wall of the coil box 1 by means of bolts or other suitable means and is provided with a central opening. A circular cover 9 having an angular flange 10 formed thereon is bolted or otherwise detachably secured to the base 8 and is provided with a central depression 11, having an opening therein for receiving a central shaft 12 which extends through the opening in th base 8 and is provided with its end recessed and squared to receive the squared end 7 of the shank 4 of the switch 3. A suitable collar is formed on the shaft 12 and adapted to engage the base 8 Within the coverto limit the movement of the shaft 12 in the direction of the switch 3. A pin is detachably secured to the shaft 1.2 within. the recess 2 of the coil box 1 to provide means whereby the shaft 12 may be withdrawn from the base 8 by removing said pin. A suitable handle 12 is formed on the outer end of the shaft 12 and located within the depression 11 to provide means whereby said shaft 12 may be rotated to operate the switch 3. Secured to the shaft 12 and within the cover 9 is a circular disk 13 provided with a plurality of openings 1A .arranged in circular formation, to be engaged by a plurality of locking arms, which will be hereinafter more fully described. The cover 9 is provided with a plurality of depressions 15 arranged in circular formation and provided with openings therein to slidably receive 1 push'buttons 16 which are pivotally secured to the arms heretofore mentioned.

Secured to the base 8 and arranged in circular formation, are a plurality of brackets 17, which are provided with oppositely disposed extensions 18. Formed on the ends of each of the extensions 18 are a pair of relatively spaced plates 19 and 20 which are provided with alining apertures therein. Secured to the base 8 and arranged in circular formation are a plurality of casings 21 which are provided with their free ends closed by detachable caps 22 and are each provided with an elongated slot intermediate their ends and have positioned therein coil springs 23 and plugs 24.

The locking arms heretofore mentioned are each provided on oneof their ends with lugs 25 which are adapted to be received within the openings 14 of the circular disk 13 on the central shaft 12. 'Some of these locking arms are adapted to be normally in engagement with the circular disk 13 and the other arms normally held from an engagement with the disk 13 and to better describe my invention, I am referring to the arms which are normally in engagement with the disk '13 by the numeral 26 and the arms which are normally away from an engagement with the diskby the numeral 27. The arms 26 which are normally in engagement with the disk 13 are pivotally secured between the pair of relatively spaced plates 19 upon the brackets 17 'by means of pins 28 passing through thealining apertures there 1I1. extend into the cylindrical casings 21 and be interposed between the springs 23 and the plugs 24:. The springs which engage the arms 26 are positioned to bear against the detachable caps 22 and the ends of the arms and the plugs engage the endsof the arms and the base 8 to normally urge said arms into an engagement with the circular plate 13. The arms 27 which are normally held from an engagement with the plate 13 are pivotally secured between the relatively spaced plates 20 of the brackets 17 by means of pins 29 and the ends of the arms adapted- The ends of the arms are adapted to I being limited in their movement within the cylindrical casings 21 by the plugs 24: which are positioned between the detachable caps 22 and the ends of the arms 27.

In order to operate the switch 3 to the coil box 1, the push buttons 15 which are pivotally connected to the operating arms 26 must all be pushed inwardly to raise the lugs 25 from engagement with the openings 14 within the circular disk 13 and held in this position until the switch 3 has been properly operated by rotating the central shaft 12 by handle 12. If a person is not familiar with the proper buttons to push to free the shaft 12 said person is liable to operate one of the push buttons which is connected tothe arms 27 and in this case, the arms 27 will be forced to engage the plate 13 and hold said plate 13 against rotation and prevent the switch from being operated, providing the buttons to the operating arms 26 are correctly operated, providing a combination which cannot be operated unless the person is familiar with the exact push button to operate.

While I have shown and described the cular disk secured tothe shaft within the casing and provided with a plurality of openings arrangedin circular formation, a plurality of brackets secured within the easing and arranged in circular formation, locking arms pivotally secured to said brackets, lugs formed on the ends of said arms, means for holding some of the lugs within the openings of the disk, andmeans for holding the lugson the other arms from engagement with the disk, and push buttons pivotally connected to the arms for moving the arms from engagement with the disk to free the shaft.

2. A keyless lock comprising a casing, a central'shaft extending through said casing, a circular disk secured to said shaft and provided with a plurality of openings arranged in circular formation, a plurality of brackets secured within the casing and arranged in circular formation, arms secured to said brackets, lugs formed on said arms, cylindrical casings secured within the casing and arranged in circular formation, means mounted within some of the cylindrical casings to normally hold the lugs on some of the arms into engagement with the openings of the circular disk, and means mounted within the other circular casings for normally holding the lugs on the other arms from engagement with the circular disk, and push buttons pivotally secured to the arms for operating said arms.

3. A keyless lock comprising a base, a cover secured to said base, a central shaft extending through the cover and base, a circular disk secured to said shaft and provided with a plurality of openings arranged in circular formation, a plurality of brackets secured to the base and arranged in circular formation, extensions formed on the brackets, a pair of relatively spaced plates formed on the ends of the extensions, arms pivotally secured between the pair of relatively spaced plates of each bracket, lugs formed on the ends of said arms, cylindrical casings secured to the base and provided with slots intermediate their ends to receive the ends of the arms, springs mounted in some of the cylindrical casings to bear against the base and the ends of the arms to hold said arms normally from an engagement with the disk, and means mounted in the lower ends of last mentioned cylindrical casings to limit the movement of the arms, springs mounted in the other cylindrical casing and bearing against the ends of the cylindrical casing and the ends of the arms to normally hold said arms in engagement with the disk, and means mounted in the other end of the last mentioned cylindrical casings to form a stop for the arms, and push buttons connected to the arms for freeing the arms from engagement with the disk.

4. A keyless lock comprising a base, a cover provided with an angular flange de tachably secured to the base, said cover provided with a central depression having an opening therein, a central shaft extending through the opening and base, a handle formed on said shaft, and located within the central depression, a disk secured to said shaft and provided with a plurality of openings therein, brackets secured to the base, arms pivotally secured to said brackets, lugs formed on the arms, means connected to some of said arms for holding the lugs on these arms into engagement with the disk, means connected with the other arms for holding the lugs thereon from engagement with the disk, and means connected with the arms for operating said arms to free the shaft.

5. A keyless lock comprising a base, a cover provided with an angular flange d'etachably secured to the base, said cover pro vided with a central depression and having an opening therein, a central shaft eX- tending through the opening in the depression and the base, brackets secured to the base, a disk secured to the shaft, and provided with a plurality of openings therein, arms secured to said brackets, lugs formed on said arms, means for normally holding the lugs of some of said arms into engagement with the disk, means for normally holding the other arms from engagement with the disk, said cover provided with a plurality of circularly arranged depressions having openings therein, push buttons slidably mounted within the openings of last mentioned depression and pivotally connected to the arms for movingsaid arms from engagement with the disk to free the shaft.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LYMAN CORNWELL.

Witnesses:

HARRY A. QUIGLEY, GEORGE W. ULLRIOK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

